Dear Health Seeker,

Are you or someone you care about suffering with GERD, IBS, belching, gas, gastroparesis, constipation, ulcers, colitis, Crohn’s, or any other gastrointestinal malady? They can all be solved, and perfect digestion and bowel function can be attained — permanently! What and how we eat are the keys. Modern haphazard, starch and meat-based diets don’t work. By learning how to eat natural digestible foods in a manner which results in perfect digestion, internal cleanliness and optimum nutrition, anyone can transform digestive hell and poor health into heaven in quick time. I know — I did it (25 years ago after a horrid illness) and so have thousands of my clients over the past 17 years. My medically-endorsed bestseller, Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s, teaches precisely how to attain perfect digestion and g.i. health, and I will be glad to guide you or yours there.

Please visit: www.DigestionPerfection.com and contact me with your questions. I am available to help right away.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dave Klein
Colitis & Crohn’s Health Recovery Center

Peptic ulcers, which are in the stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the intestine leading from the stomach) can occur at any age and affect both men and women. Untreated, sufferers can look forward to a long siege with them. But today’s peptic ulcer sufferers have a brighter prospect for relief than did those of even a single generation ago. There is now less than 1 chance in 18 that surgery will every be necessary and new medications act faster and better and offer more relief than ever before.

The warning sign of active ulcers you will most likely experience (if you get any warning at all) is a gnawing discomfort in the middle or upper abdomen that typically comes between meals or in the middle of the night. Food or liquids, including antacids and milk, can provide some temporary relief, but milk might not be all that good a remedy since it stimulates production of hydrochloric acid and other digestive juices which further aggravates the pain.

Antacids blended from aluminum, calcium or magnesium salts, have long been the non prescription drugs most people quickly reach for to get relief from their stomach pains. But, because antacids interfere with absorption of some medications, be sure to go over this with your doctor and get his approval.

You should never ignore any warning signs of ulcers. Ulcer complications are serious and in some cases can be life-threatening. If paid from ulcers persists after more than 10 to 14 days of self-treatment or comes back when treatment ends, you should see your doctor. The passing of blood through the bowels may be caused by some other problem, but it can also be an urgent warning of a bleeding ulcer.

Bleeding ulcers can cause anemia or, if the ulcer gets larger it may expand into a major blood vessel, a leak can turn into a hemorrhage, with only minutes available for life saving emergency treatment. Ulcers can also perforate and may erode completely through the wall of the stomach or duodenum. If this happens and the stomach�s contents flow into the abdominal cavity, severe infection can result. A perforated ulcer is an emergency that requires immediate surgery.

It has been determined that smoking doubles a person’s risk for ulcer disease. Physicians and researches have found that ulcers heal a lot slower for smokers, and smokers also have a higher relapse rate.

And you’re definitely at risk for ulcers if you take aspirin and any of the other products containing aspirin. High-dose Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Maproxen and Piroxicam are in wide use today for many conditions, especially to relive pain and swelling among the millions of people who have arthritis. These medications can irritate the stomach�s lining and cause gastrointestinal bleeding.

Ulcers have frequently been the target for humor in describing the stereotypical aggressive, pressured, goal-or-career-oriented person. But for those who have them, ulcers are certainly no laughing matter. Peptic ulcers strike 1 out of ever 50 Americans each year.

As research continues, there is now mounting evidence that something other than smoking, drinking, spicy meals, or a possible battle with the boss may be associated with ulcers. It is now believed that ulcers are the result of a combination of conditions, the dynamics of which researchers don’t yet fully understand.

FDA notified healthcare professionals of a Preliminary Public Health Notification describing deaths and serious complications associated with the use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) systems. FDA has received reports of six deaths and 77 injuries associated with NPWT systems over the past two years.

NPWT systems are generally indicated for the management of wounds, burns, ulcers, flaps and grafts. They apply negative pressure to the wound in order to remove fluids, including wound exudates, irrigation fluids, and infectious materials. Healthcare professionals were advised to select patients for NPWT carefully, after reviewing the most recent device labeling and instructions. Patients should be monitored frequently in an appropriate care setting by a trained practitioner, and practitioners should be vigilant for potentially life-threatening complications, such as bleeding, and be prepared to take prompt action if they occur.

CLICK HERE to read the MedWatch safety summary, including links to the FDA Preliminary Public Health Notification and FDA Advice to Patients.

thoughts scrambled… too too tired… busy week… not all good… but at least it ended well… by well i mean the last 2 social events were with good friends… last nite with a great friend and collaborator, and his lovely wife, and today with another friend who shares my love for food… i meant it literally when i told that female artist – i dont need more friends… haha it must hv sounded so horrid to her, but it is truth… too much socialising makes me physically ill – the TMJ has returned since i came back here, and the ulcers are bad again today… pain is crippling – but many ppl will never understand this until they grow old and develop painful ailments common to aging and the dying process… me, i hv carried this since birth, pain is part of my existence but i never grew used to it… i dont anyone ever can… yet, looking at all things, i m pleased to come this far… happy and blessed, and also pleased with myself… i aint a hero on a stump running a marathon, but i hv weathered this pain well…

youth is so proud and impetuous, but there is so much verve and energy in youth that the middle age do not possess… and i m no exception… when i was younger, i was able to go go go on painkillers, mowing the world down with my enthusiasm and aggressively passionate… now i smile and see myself in so many young talents i meet, tho they hv far more opportunities and no physical limitations unlike myself… and i feel happy to see new things developing, yet i kw i m no longer the same as them, and i hv to dance to a different beat, even a different beat from the one i had danced to before…

scrambled thoughts indeed… where was i? anyway… time to rest up… full week ahead… hope the pain subsides somewhat… i need strength physical strength to get thru the week…

TMJ again… seems to hv come back when i returned here… ah well… c’est ma vie!… still cld manage a nice tomato & mozarella toasty for lunch anyway, which is always good news… for those who hv never been plagued with mouth ulcers and TMJ at the same time, a simple thing like being able to eat a piece of wholemeal bread with melted cheese may seem mundane, but to those of us with such unusual maladies, the very act is in itsself a celebration of life’s little blessings!

eating is a ritual for humankind… but for us with behcet’s, it is a sombre daily ritual… sometimes a celebration of wellness, other times a mournful ritual…

the TMJ does hurt, and a few ulcers are bothering me right now, but all in, i m trying to celebrate – dinner with good friend tonite… i hope i will be physically strong enough to enjoy it… cheers for food rituals!

TMJ again… seems to hv come back when i returned here… ah well… c’est ma vie!… still cld manage a nice tomato & mozarella toasty for lunch anyway, which is always good news… for those who hv never been plagued with mouth ulcers and TMJ at the same time, a simple thing like being able to eat a piece of wholemeal bread with melted cheese may seem mundane, but to those of us with such unusual maladies, the very act is in itsself a celebration of life’s little blessings!

eating is a ritual for humankind… but for us with behcet’s, it is a sombre daily ritual… sometimes a celebration of wellness, other times a mournful ritual…

the TMJ does hurt, and a few ulcers are bothering me right now, but all in, i m trying to celebrate – dinner with good friend tonite… i hope i will be physically strong enough to enjoy it… cheers for food rituals!

Anxiety. That’s what it’s all about. It has finally hit me, that feeling that washes over me and brings me to the brink of breakdown is due to my over-worrying nature. If I didn’t worry about things this year would be amazing (although, of course if I didn’t worry about things I wouldn’t be human). Despite being more prepared for lessons than ever, thank you to my bedridden Toussaint holiday, I headed off to school, for the first day back after Toussaint, worried about everything I could possibly worry about. Everything went fine. There was no need to worry, at all, so why do I do it so often? I’m not sure if I think so little of myself that I’m sure I’m going to screw up majorly. Surely I don’t have that little faith in myself!

I’ve got ulcers and bad skin as a result of the fact I am quite stressed and run down at the moment. However, in my breakdown curing skype call to my dad last night we talked about a lot of things to take my mind off the fact I was actually having a breakdown and one of those things was cooking. I’ve recently realised that cooking soothes me, I really enjoy it and also is the key to not only physical but mental health, I’ll be doing more and more of it. I’m going to teach myself to cook different meals in order to relieve my tensions.

45 days until I go home for Christmas and I am really looking forward to it, if only to see my parents again. I’ve got many things to do in this time to make it fly. Italian cuisine night tomorrow chez another assistant, my best friend is coming to visit me in 14 days, I need to visit La Cité to do Christmas shopping for my family, regular lesson plans, Christmas lesson plans (I must admit, I may be a little more excited than the children) and other mundane daily/weekly chores/living/rituals. Things like this make me realise that I can definitely do this, no matter what this experience throws at me I’m in it until the end. Definitely not getting off this ride until it is over.

We are told to drink more but what does that mean and why should we?

What does water really do apart from keeping us hydrated? 

In Iran a Doctor Batmanghelidj while in prison discovered some amazing things about water. I am talking about clean, uncontaminated drinking water that would come from deep under ground or from a mountain spring not from a tap or a bottle.

I drink tea, coffee, soft drink, beer and other liquids. They contain water don’t they?

Many of today’s modern drinks are actually counter productive to our already acidic environment. The body must expel water to try and eliminate the harm from the extra acidity brought on by these unnatural liquids.

• Brain Function: Although only 2% of the body’s total weight, the brain receives 15%-20% of the blood supply, which is mostly water. Cognitive function is drastically effected through dehydration.

• Bone Function: Plenty of water is paramount for healthy bones. Of the upper body’s total weight, 75% is supported by the water core contained in the fifth lumbar disc and the 25% left in the spinal musculature.

• Nerve Function: Along the length of nerves are microstreams which transport nutrients directly to the synapses to transmit messages. Dehydration disrupts proper nerve function, which transmits to pain.

• Hydrolysis: Water is intricately involved in the water-dependent chemical reactions of the body. When the body is dehydrated, proteins and enzymes are not as functional in the acidic solutions of higher viscosity (thickness).

• Dyspepsia (heartburn /reflux): In time this can lead to ulceration or cancer. Dr Batman.. recommends that these conditions are one of the body’s major thirst signals. During his imprisonment in the 70’s in Tehran he successfully treated over 3000 people of dyspeptic pain with water alone.

• Digestion: Mucus lining the walls of the stomach protect it from it’s own hydrochloric acid. This effective defence system is ineffectual with too little water and the acid penetrates leading to pain.

Tim James Certified PT and Australian Kettlebell Instructor

This article was adapted from information taken from the book

Water and Salt, Your Healers from Within by Dr Batmanghelidj

About six years ago, I was suffering daily from heartburn, and a friend suggested (partly on the advice of her sister, who worked for a pharmaceutical manufacturer) that I try Prilosec. Within a day my heartburn was completely gone, and I figured I didn’t need it anymore, but she said I should follow the full 14-day course, so I did.

When I finished, I followed the instructions to not take it again for four months, and by the following morning I was in more pain than I’d been in previously. My friend called her sister, and relayed the message that it was ok to continue to take it, because they “only suggest the four month break in case there is something more serious going on”.

DOCTORS ASSUMPTIONS (OR ARE THEY PAID TO SAY THAT?)

After a few months, I had to go to a doctor for a sore throat, and I figured I would ask them about Prilosec. The doctor asked how long I’d been taking it, and I told him. He said, “is it working for you?”, and I responded, “Yes …”, to which he quickly (and sort of proudly?) replied, “then keep taking it.”

Two more years passed, and off and on I would feel a little sick at work, but otherwise ok. I began to put on weight, going from 210 to 230 or so, but I attributed this to my lifestyle (I was making more money and could finally afford to eat), and decided to eat more “healthy” – which meant, at the time, not eating as much candy or burgers.

At some point I developed a condition that required some outpatient surgery, and when I was visiting with my surgeon, I asked him if it was safe to keep taking Prilosec. He said pretty much the same thing the doctor had said – that if it was preventing my heartburn I should keep taking it, and only to worry if I began noticing other symptoms, like blood or weight loss and stomach cramps, etc.

STRANGE SYMPTOMS

Over the next year, I began experiencing troubling symptoms while I was at work. I worked in an office building, and sometimes would be sitting at my desk when I would suddenly “lose power” and start sweating, having difficulty thinking clearly, and become incredibly weak. The few times my co-workers or supervisors saw me, they remarked at how pale I was and sent me home … but I couldn’t drive because I was so dizzy and weak.

At some point, I began having strange arm and leg pains. I would feel “pinching” and sometimes tingling in one or both arms. If I hadn’t slept enough the night before, my left arm would turn red and ache, until I held it over my head. I would also experience chest pains (cramps in my diaphragm), and because I was smoking I did my best to quit, hoping to improve my health. I changed my diet to “grapes, cheese and bread”, and drank a lot of water … which helped for awhile, but I would still grow weak or my hands would go numb until I ate something with more sugars and proteins … like a McDonald’s meal.

I also began to have – infrequently – “charlie horses” in the muscles of my neck, beneath my jaw. These pains were TERRIBLE, and lasted a long time, making it hard to talk or swallow.

Because eating food helped to minimize my symptoms, I put on more weight, now going to 240, and then 250. I’d been “fat” before, but this was pushing the previous limit for me. I couldn’t exercise because of my breathing problems (I’d had childhood asthma, and having smoked for the past or so years I had a severely reduced lung capacity), so I tried to walk more and eat less fats. Unfortunately, the more I walked the more my heartburn would flare up. I began carrying aspirin with me, and any time I had stronger-than-normal chest/arm/neck/jaw pains or numbness, I would take two aspirin, figuring “if it is a heart attack, this will help”. It didn’t occur to me that aspirin also causes ulcers as it kills the stomach lining.

HEART ATTACK?

Two years ago, I began experiencing a “weight in my chest”, pain and tingling in my left arm and jaw, and dizziness while sitting in a chair. My wife called the paramedics and they checked me for a heart attack, but only found elevated blood pressure (a lot of my pain had gone by then). They suggested we go to the “Chest Pain Center” of a local hospital, so we did. I spent the night there (they released me early in the morning), and they took a blood sample and monitored my heart, but the indicators of a heart attack were not in my blood, and the ECG seemed mostly normal. They suggested I visit a cardiologist, so we made an appointment.

I’d had a “panic attack” once before in my life, and these didn’t seem like that, though they did involve “panic” (when I was suddenly and unexpectedly best by a terrible or intense and unusual pain it freaked me out!) and tense muscles.

The cardiologist didn’t find anything of concern, and said “for your weight, your heart is incredibly healthy”.

GENERAL UGH.

About six months later, I began feeling “sick”. It was hard to describe the feeling … it was like the bones in my fingers wanted to vomit. My body felt like it was rejecting itself. I felt “numb” … not “tingling”, not “goose bumps”, not “hot” … just numb. I could feel pressure on my skin, but it was difficult to feel heat or cold. I would feel an itch and reach to scratch it and not be able to locate it, even though it was still itching. I began to trip over my feet more, my eyes sometimes wouldn’t focus. I couldn’t hold a piece of paper up to read because my arm could barely support its own weight. I was dizzy. I had always loved to read and to create music and art and to write, but I couldn’t do those things because the act of thinking was difficult. Even watching television was hard to focus on. I began to be more angry and aggressive … partly because of my inability to function, but also because I just felt angry. No reason – I just did.

Certain foods seemed to aggravate my illness. Any food made it hit me, but sugary foods, chocolate, and fatty foods made it unbearable. Pastas, especially spaghetti and macaroni & cheese made me “sick”. Rice and potatoes made me “sick”. Broccoli was ok, and Salmon actually made me feel better, but sandwiches, chips, cheddar cheese and ice cream all made me sick. I even tried to not eat a few days, and I would feel less “sick”, but then I’d get really weak. I tried exercise, and riding my bike made me feel a little better, but then I’d have to deal with acid in my throat.

I went to a doctor. He reviewed some prior blood tests I’d had over the years, and suggested I had some sort of liver damage and high cholesterol. He said he didn’t want to give me any cholesterol-fighting drugs that might further damage my liver, and suggested I take Niacin and Fish Oil for awhile. They seemed to help me feel less “dead”, but the Niacin flush really irritated me and I still couldn’t eat sugary or starchy foods. At one of the follow-up visits we discussed a variety of things, and I asked if it could be pancreatic cancer or something (because of blood sugar issues, liver damage, etc), so he sent me to the hospital for a sonogram, and (as far as I know) they didn’t find anything abnormal. He also suggested I might have H. Pylori – the most common cause of ulcers – but my test was negative.

I went snowboarding that winter, and the physical activity made me feel really good for a couple days.

In the spring, I began experiencing really bad muscle cramps in my diaphragm, making it difficult for me to breathe. I had a few long-lasting cramps in my thighs, too.

A NEW PHASE OF PAIN

I lived with these symptoms for almost a year, and then began developing arm/neck/chest/jaw pains again, this time more severe. I’d be sitting in class or even sleeping and suddenly be jolted by a severe pinch or sting or throbbing pain in one of these places. A few times the left side of my face went numb. I started carrying aspirin with me again, and probably took two at least twice a week. I also started having back pain and feeling exhausted all the time, and more and more my shoulders were aching and weak. I also began having really bad joint pains in my fingers (they’d swell up), had dry eyes, and off and on would have terrible, terrible pains in my knees (alternating) that felt like I’d ripped something. The pains would appear out of nowhere (getting up from bed, while walking, etc), and vanish just as quickly (I think the longest I had one was 2 days). I also had muscle pains in my eyes and eyelids that felt like tiny cramps. I should mention that a lot of the muscle cramps I had lasted so long that the pain would eventually turn into numbness and tightness.

MUSCLE WEAKNESS

One day, in September of 2009, I came home from church and my 2 year old daughter wanted me to lift her up,so I did. Almost instantly my body became so weak I had to put her down and lie flat on the floor for about 20 minutes to regain my strength. I felt exhausted like that the entire day, though each time I napped for a few hours I’d feel a little better for a bit before the weakness returned.  It scared me, and over the next week I was trying to figure out what exactly had been happening to me.

Sometimes the weakness would seem so great it seemed like too much work to breathe, often I couldn’t seem to get up the strength to carry on a conversation.

I began having cramps in some facial/head muscles too, in my temples.

IS PRILOSEC MY ‘MYSTERY DISEASE’?

I’d been keeping track of my blood pressure and symptoms for awhile, on the advice of my wife (because most of the time when I went to the doctor I would forget to tell them things or decide certain symptoms weren’t worth mentioning), but I decided to start keeping track of what medications I took & when also. At some point, it occurred to me that this may be related to prilosec, so I pulled out the sheet in the box (which I hadn’t read in years) and saw where it said not to take it if you experience “shortness of breath, chest, arm or shoulder pains”. Though I’m sure this was more of a “because you may have heart problems instead of heartburn” warning for new users, I decided I needed to quit taking it.

The first day I quit taking prilosec, I got a lot of my energy back. The second day my heartburn came back, so I began using Rolaids. Since there is a limit to how many of those you can take in a day, I also bought some Tagamet and alternated between half-dosages of the two (you can take two Tagamet a day, so I took one, and Rolaids suggests “two tablets” as needed, but I would take one, etc). This seemed to be working – my arm pains and the inching went away pretty quick.

Over two weeks, however, I could feel the heartburn getting worse, and soon realized I was dealing with ulcers in at least two different places, as well as the “heartburn” that started the whole thing. I switched from Tagamet to Zantac 150, and though that helped a little more, it didn’t seem to be fixing the problem completely.

I should mention that I also changed my diet and habits. I ceased eating at least two hours before bed time, I slept “propped up” on pillows, and I found a list of foods online that showed which foods are least likely to cause heartburn (cabbage, bananas, graham crackers, etc) and which foods are more likely (fried foods, sugars, soda & coffee, etc). It wasn’t a big change in diet – I’d had to eliminate sugars and fried foods a year before due to the “sickness” – but it did force us to buy more fruits and vegetables. I also resolved to not use ANY painkillers, because though aspirin was the worst for the stomach lining, all NSIDS (Tylenol, etc) damage the stomach lining, allowing ulcers to develop.

A strange side-effect I experienced was sudden infection of two injuries that had not previously been infected. I’d injured my toe a month or two earlier, and it had been in pain, but did not get infected. I’d also had a problem with a body piercing I used to have (had removed it three years earlier). The toe became infected, requiring a trip to the doctor and some minor surgery, and the location of the former piercing began to ache and ooze pus. I wondered if these two things were indicators that somehow Prilosec had also prevented my body from doing whatever it needed to do to heal from these injuries, but now that I’d stopped the drug, my body was producing (white blood cells?) whatever it needed to heal these injuries.

I experienced two other side effects from the diet and change in pills. The diet caused constipation (I’d been used to daily diarrhea that had come with Prilosec), and the Rolaids gave me kidney stones! Kidney stones hurt bad – I was lucky (I think?) and found a home remedy online (Lemon Juice+Olive Oil) to break down the stones, and it worked – three days after the first pains I could feel the stone working its way down, and a day later it was gone. Needless to say, the experience wasn’t pleasant.

At about two or three weeks off prilosec, my ulcers hurt really bad, and I got weak/sweaty/pale and had difficulty breathing one afternoon, so I decided it was better to be miserable on prilosec than to risk a perforated ulcer, so I started it back up.

I’d lost a lot of weight during this time, too. I think some of this was due to increased ability to absorb nutrients from my food, as well as unwillingness to eat much (because of pain!) and the reduction or elimination of ALL sugary and fatty foods. I’d begun snacking on apples.

Within about 8 hours my ulcer/heartburn pain was gone, within two or three days my muscle pains were back, though much more intense. This confirmed the Prilosec-Muscle pains connection, so I went online and searched “Prilosec+Muscle Weakness”, and found a plethora of sites which identified IN GREAT DETAIL and ACCURACY my own symptoms. On one site someone mentioned their arthritis pains became more severe each time they took Prilosec. On another, there was mention of prilosec causing cartilage problems. A scientific study of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), which include Prilosec, Nexium, and others, implicated the drugs in the dramatic decrease in bone density in users who had used the drugs consistently over one year.

‘PINCHED NERVES’ AND THE CHIROPRACTOR

I became convinced that my pains were due to a “pinched nerve” in my neck (some of my vertebrae had been “grinding” and cracking lately), and decided to go to a chiropractor. (I should add – we had lost our health insurance earlier in the year and were denied on re-application because my wife had a “pre-existing condition”. He was born healthy a few months ago in an out-of-hospital birth.)

My chiropractor examined me and determined that my back was indeed in need of adjustment, but I needed to get my other health in line first.  He said by looking at my skin and how I shook, he could tell I was low in magnesium, and suggested I take a certain amount daily.

At home, I looked up magnesium, and saw that in large doses it can cause muscle weakness (including death!), and wasn’t going to take it. Without a blood test, it wasn’t possible to determine whether or not I was deficient, and I didn’t want to risk my life on the advice of an “alternative medicine practitioner”. Fortunately, I also looked up “Prilosec+Magnesium”, and learned that Prilosec not only prevents the absorption of Calcium, but it also prevents potassium and magnesium too! Since magnesium and potassium are needed by the body to relax muscle tissue between contractions, it was likely my prilosec use had over the past 6 years caused my body to absorb very little magnesium and potassium, which was probably the cause of my muscle cramps and pains, ever increasing blood pressure, and other problems.

I decided I absolutely had to get off of prilosec, and searched the internet to find out how.

A WORKING SOLUTION?

A few people who had quit taking it suggested the same regimen of pills:

DGL Licorice, Probiotics, Enzymes, and, if needed, a weaker acid reducer (rather than a PPI) like Zantac or Tagamet.

Of those who did this program, a few who had taken it a long time (not as long as me!) said it took 3 to 4 weeks for their pain to be gone. I was not looking forward to going that long, but with the alternative probably being a painful death, I figured I’d tough it out.

I stopped my prilosec that day and went to the health food store the next. I also picked up some pH diet materials, including litmus paper,(more on that later) at the suggestion of my chiropractor. The items I came home with were as follows:

DGL Licorice: De-Glycyrrhizinated Licorice is a licorice supplement that has the glycyrrhizin removed (it causes high blood pressure). The DGL supposedly causes the stomach lining to absorb and hold more water, which allows it to heal more quickly from ulcers and protect itself from stomach acids. Currently the only possible side effects known are rare reactions with calcium supplements or milk that can cause “milk alkai syndrome”, a potentially dangerous condition in which the body gets too much calcium. This syndrome happens on its own in people who use a lot of antacid tablets, and can cause kidney failure, muscle weakness, etc.  Because of the good effects of the DGL, however, I have not had to take many (or any) additional Rolaids, so I don’t think this will be a problem. It seems to be working for me, but the National Institute of Health says that DGL is slightly effective in treating a few things, but stomach ulcers are not one of them. Those who do use it/suggest it recommended that DGL be chewed slowly and mixed with saliva because it helps activate it; I seem to recall somewhere reading that I should drink 8oz of water after swallowing two tablets, and then wait 20 minutes before eating my meal. I usually drink about 12 to 14oz of water, and have sometimes used DGL without additional water, or during or after a meal that seems to be aggravating my heartburn.

Probiotics: I bought some inexpensive acidophilus pills (they range from $9 to $35 for a bottle, and have to stay refrigerated), but was already taking a daily serving of a Dannon’s Activia Probiotic Yogurt. Adding the pills initially upset my stomach, but only the first couple days. Probiotics supposedly restore helpful bacteria to your digestive system that are lost when you take antibiotics and other medicines.

Digestive Enzymes: an enzyme mixture tablet was recommended by a few of the sites I visited, as well as those at the health food store I spoke with, but I am a little skeptical. I didn’t notice much of anything with these, the ingredients sound suspect, and it is my understanding that some of the foods I eat ought to provide enough of these, but other than a little discomfort (I may be allergic to one of the ingredients), they seem pretty harmless.

The sites also suggested something called “Heartburn No More” by Enzymatic Therapy. Its main ingredient is some kind of extract from orange peels. Those who have used it said it causes heartburn pain in the first few days, but eventually clears it up quicker than any of the alternatives. My local store didn’t carry this, so I didn’t have a chance to try it. The local store quit carrying it because no one bought it. There is also a controversial (as in “scam”) book by the same title which is (as far as I can tell) NOT related to the product.

I did, however, begin taking a Ginger herbal tea (no caffeine) called Organic Ginger Aid by Traditional Medicinals. This tea stings a little at first, then gives the “warm feeling” that my candied ginger did (used it for awhile before I discovered this tea). After that, the heartburn calms down quickly. The ginger tea, however, (and I suspect most ginger in general) has a mild laxative effect, so it’s probably a bad idea to use it regularly. I usually drink an additional 20oz of water during or after the tea by habit, though I can’t remember if this was due to an urge to drink more water or because of something that was suggested somewhere along the line.

THE pH DIET

I’d mentioned the pH diet earlier.  My chiropractor suggested it, and I looked it up online. Basically, the theory is this: Our bodies should be slightly alkaline, and that alkalinity can be achieved through diet by eating certain foods which are either already alkaline or which break down and make our bodies more alkaline. (An example of the latter would be lemons, which start out acidic). When our bodies are too acidic, or organs and cells are damaged, and (according to the theory) our body stores and produces more fat to battle the acidity … so (again, in theory) eating to lower one’s alkalinity also lowers one’s body fat.

I probably wouldn’t have bought all the way into the whole pH thing if it weren’t for two important things that struck me: The first was that the foods recommended by the diet were mostly the same foods in my existing “low heartburn” diet (cabbage, bananas, apples, etc). I figured that adhering to the diet wouldn’t be that big of a deal since I was already mostly doing it.

Secondly, this whole business about losing weight as a result of a more alkaline pH was interesting to me, because in the time I did the diet I was on (which was similar to theirs), I had lost 30 lbs. I was 280+ in June, but as of today I am 248. I have not (though I certainly wish to!) exercised at all … it’s been diet only. My diet (prior to the small new restrictions for the pH diet) was pretty much this:

1. No saturated or trans fats
2. Low cholesterol (or high “good” cholesterol, low “bad”)
3. Low or No sodium, no adding salt to meal
4. Less than 9g sugar per serving
5. drink lots of water
6. eat mostly fruits and vegetables (particularly cabbage, apples, spinach and bananas)
7. nuts with low or no sodium added
8. no fried food
9. nonfat or low fat cheeses, yogurts, and sour cream
10. only broiled or baked meats (and really I only ate fish: salmon, tuna, catfish and sardines)
11. as little dried seasonings as possible
12. no “processed” foods: breads, cookies, cakes, fast food, tortillas, etc.
13. no corn, but wheat and “whole grain” stuff ok in moderation
14. baked potatoes ok, small servings of rice (I found whole grain waaaaaaay better than processed instant white, etc).
15. Baked potato chips are OK, so one serving or less of those, nuts and apples were my “treat” or desert.
16. I also read that “fermented” veggies are better than fresh veggies in a lot of cases because they will have natural food-specific enzymes that help break them down (part of the reason preservatives in food are bad), so I started eating Kimchee (Kim chi), a Korean dish made from fermenting cabbage. I’d been worried about the spices (peppers, garlic) in it, but when I learned about the pH diet, these were good things. Kimchee has not aggravated my heartburn … and from what I read, there have been studies on Kimchee showing that most kinds actually promote digestive health and prevent stomach cancers (though there is one specific kind that actually seems to have an opposite effect).
17. I also continued to stay away from coffee, most teas, alcohol, tobacco, and sugary foods.

For breakfast each day I would eat lightly-scrambled eggs (unsalted butter, no added spices) on whole-grain toast, sometimes also eating some cabbage mixed in with the eggs. I think the pH diet says “no eggs”, so lately I have been eating a high-fiber cereal each morning instead.

I’ve also continued to take my fish oil supplements, rarely take my Niacin, and have begun using the Magnesium (citrate) supplements my chiropractor suggested, though still at a dosage less than he’d suggested (I take one or two a day, rather than three “working up to” a higher prescribed amount.

CURRENT SYMPTOMS/RESULTS

From an “I can feel it working” perspective, I’d say that the ginger tea, the licorice, and the pH diet (and lots of water) are the things that seem to be working the most. One DGL tablet works better for me than two Rolaids, for example.

I still have some heartburn, but I haven’t had to resort to Prilosec, and this time around my symptoms seem to be getting better, rather than worse with time. Before, without Prilosec, I was in constant pain. Now, I only have some pain, and that pain only happens about 40 min to an hour after eating something that isn’t in my diet (chicken nuggets or cookies).

I’ve noticed a lot more dry eyes and/or eye fatigue lately (everything seems a little blurry), but the eye thing may be due to being trapped indoors with cats in an arid part of the world with the heat on (!) but it is only fair to mention it in case it is not.

I am getting bad acne. I’m nearly 36 years old.

I have actually experienced some infrequent muscle pains, but these are brief (while on Prilosec they were sustained or with enough frequency to keep me in near-constant pain). I’ve also had some cramping in my ribs and some back pain, but the back pain is less and the rib-cramping is similar to what I had a few years back with my jaw & other strange cramping.

When I am stressed (baby crying, etc), my heartburn comes back when my abdomen tightens up, but the good thing is that it is heartburn, NOT ulcer pain. I have been able to eat other foods that previously hurt: a chicken sandwich, a milkshake, and yesterday I had some mild Mexican food.

At this stage I cannot say with certainty that I am going to get better, but things certainly are heading in that direction. I last took Prilosec on October 19th in the evening (I’d been trying to stagger my dosage to take as few as possible – it was working out to about 28 to 36 hours between taking one and needing another) – today is October 28th, so it has been 9 days so far. I have twice (or 3 times?) taken a Zantac 150 during this time to help get rid of heartburn that feels like it might get worse overnight, but with the DGL licorice working so well, I don’t know that I will need to do that any more. When I’m out & away from home I’ve been carrying two DGL tablets with me and an unused roll of Rolaids Extra Strength in case of any problems, but so far I’ve only had to use one DGL.

THINGS I FOUND OUT ABOUT PRILOSEC

Prilosec is one of the many drugs called “Proton Pump Inhibitors”. These are kind of like “stomach acid preventers” (rather than “acid reducers” like Zantac, Pepcid or Tagamet). While this makes it give awesome results, long term use is dangerous (I suspect) because our bodies produce stomach acid for a reason: to help digest food, which in turn, releases nutrients to be absorbed by the intestines, etc. When we have “too much stomach acid” (I put it in quotes because some persons who experience these problems actually have too little), there is a reason! It might be that we ate something that can’t be digested, it might be that there is something fooling our stomach into thinking it hasn’t digested something (like a stomach tumor), or we might not really have “too much acid” – we might have the right amount but our body isn’t processing food fast enough to empty the stomach, or we’re overweight and the stomach is folded over funny, squeezing acid up. We might just be eating too much, or lying down (going to bed) too quickly after eating.

The companies that make these medicines know there are many causes of heartburn, so they put some suggestions on the box/in an insert: “quit smoking. don’t wear constrictive clothing. don’t eat right before bed. lose weight.” I suppose that, to people who are either in terrible pain from doing these things or are recently relieved from that pain by the miracle drug, these suggestions are about as effective as surgeon general’s warnings on boxes of cigarettes. I tried some of these things, but probably like most people, I didn’t do all of them, nor did I do them consistently.

PPI’s, probably through the act of eliminating stomach acid, prevent the absorption of things our bodies need, like Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium. Over time, these deficiencies can have some serious bad effects, including (drum roll please!) digestive problems. We don’t recognize that problem because we assume it is par of the problem we’re trying to remedy with the miracle drug. Fortunately, there are other side effects we can notice! Our muscles cramp, become weak, burn. Our joints – particularly fingers and sometimes toes – swell. We feel ‘dehydrated’, when really what we are is starved of nutrients our body needs. Our pancreas can swell causing insulin problems. Our bodies become more prone to panic attacks, our nerves begin transmitting false messages of pain/burning/itching. When our body does produce acid, it over-does it to make up for the times it is prevented from doing so by the PPI. Our bone density gets bad, and our bones become brittle. Our cartilage shrivels up and doesn’t repair itself. Our vascular system suffers from magnesium depletion, and our blood pressure rises. Our body does other things to help absorb nutrients from our food. We suffer from diarrhea.

Other things happen indirectly. If we still have stomach problems, we eat more food because it relieves the pain. If our bodies are starving from lack of nutrients, we eat more food to relieve the starvation pains. Either way we get fat!   If you are like me and think taking a pain reliever will make you feel better, you’re really only making your problem worse, killing stomach cells and making pockets for ulcers to develop.

Prilosec OTC is also a strange drug in how it is marketed. The OTC dosage is something like 20.6 mg, but a prescription version of the drug comes in a lower dose of 10mg. (There are also higher doses available by prescription). I’m not a doctor, so it might be stupid for me to ask this, but what other over-the-counter medications come in a higher dose than their prescription counterparts?

I figure I have spent somewhere around/over $2,000 on Prilosec in the past 6 years (if I did my math right).  I was shocked and relieved – to tears – when I found a website a couple weeks ago that lets consumers discuss their side-effects, and saw so many people out there experiencing the same set of “mystery” symptoms that have been ruining my life for the past few years! These things have caused me to miss days of work, and have difficulty in seeking new employment, pay thousands of dollars in hospital and doctors bills, have my blood drawn numerous times, live in fear of going too far from a doctor (never knowing if it was a heart problem), and make visits to emergency rooms. It has robbed me of doing the things I love to do most: playing with my children, riding my bicycle, hiking, and other activities. It has brought fear and stress into my life. It has caused me to live at least four years without mental clarity, and caused me to experience anger and rage that had not been a part of my life before.

Sadly, the packaging for Prilosec and other drugs is a sort of disclaimer: they tell you to go to a doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms (in a way that makes them sound like something other than heartburn, and therefore other than caused by the drug), they tell the consumer to only take it for 14 days, then to wait 4 months before starting a new series, and they remind us that it may be a “sign of a more serious condition”.  This makes it difficult for a consumer to later sue the companies.

As part of the strategy, these companies then hold special seminars for doctors, and convince them that these drugs are safe, and that if the patient has no “condition” (cancer, etc), that their drugs can be used indefinitely to relieve the symptoms of being fat, eating before bed, drinking caffeine, or otherwise being an unhealthy adult.

All drugs have their place, but it is important to remember that most drugs and treatments exist to remove the symptom, not the underlying cause. As a part of a specific treatment, PPIs are probably great things, giving ulcers the chance to heal. As a consumer-targeted OTC medicine, however, these are dangerous … especially when doctors are encouraged to keep their patients on the drugs because they are “safe”.

I will continue to update this page with any additional information about my own attempts to get off the drug.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. My experience with traditional medicine only extends as far as my personal medical history (being treated, researching the ailments for myself, talking to others) and a handful of discussions with doctors. My personal experiences with alternative medicine are limited to a brief time I worked in a natural health/nutrition center in a department store, and a few years off and on I spent with people who lived deeply immersed in the “naturopath culture” and all that New-Age healing stuff.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

1. http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james21.htm
2. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home.html
3. http://www.wellsphere.com/general-medicine-article/magnesium-the-most-powerful-relaxation-mineral-available/363180
4. http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm
5. http://medicationsense.com/articles/jan_mar_04/prilosec_otc.html
6. http://www.rxlist.com/prilosec-drug.htm
7. http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2000/04/01/omeprazole/

i m reminded abt the broken body i live in all the time… little things that nobody will ever know, just by looking at me… do i deliberately ‘hide’ things? lie?… once he accused me of this… but i hv been accused of many things before, and i guess i oughta get used to it… but coming from someone i loved and gave so much to love, it hurt deep…

yet, the body broken hurts itself more than anyone or anything… especially because i never seem to learn to take my body more seriously, because i m constantly trying, to no avail, to live a ‘normal’ life… what irony, how cld i ever dream of ‘normality’?…

yesterday evening, i headed out to attend a concert rather far from my place… i braced myself for the journey, popped a stemetil and off i went, repeating to myself, like a chant, what i was attempting: a ferry ride, a long walk to the subway, and a long subway ride, then a trudge to the concert venue from the subway station…

made it to the subway, got into a train, became too crowded, so i dashed out and into the next emptier train… managed to find a seat, sat down… then, the train began to fill with human bodies… smelly, reeking, warm ‘able’ bodies… after 2 stations, i was choking from the smell, the lack of fresh oxygen and the hysteria mounting inside from too many human bodies pressing against me from everywhere… i got off in a hurry – no it wasn’t my stop, but i just cldn’t take it anymore… outside the station, i stumbled for awhile in the busy polluted noisy street, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium… the air was acrid with vehicular smog but still much preferred to the choking feeling and smell of rancid sweat on human bodies… then i hailed a taxi and rode in relative comfort all the way to the concert venue (at least i only had to contend with ONE other human body and the smell inside that ONE taxi!)…

after the entire ordeal, i spent the whole of last night coughing… this morning, i woke up with a swollen sore throat, TMJ, and severe fatigue… i’d planned to do some housework today, but instead i slept all afternoon… my throat’s still throbbing and raw now… ulcers… headache… i dunno if i caught anything or if it is just stress triggering my autoimmune… but i know it’s again time for more drugs… painkillers and antihistamine will help me get thru tonight then…

why do i do these things? because at the back of my mind, i long to be ‘normal’… i dont want to be called names like ‘princess’ etc… i m tired of being a freak… but i make myself more freaky by attempting all these ‘normalising’ adventures… will i ever learn? call it folly or call it courage, whatever the case, truth is, even after all these years, i m still uncomfortable inside my broken body…

wonder how many ppl with asperger’s also suffer from behcet’s? … just another aspie musing, i guess… i notice i hv been generally free from the painful TMJ symptoms this entire summer… yippee! small blessings are very big things really, especially when these help to alleviate pain…

chugging along… fatigue is a constant companion… but always looking for a way to up the energy levels… swimming everyday has helped this a bit… but it’s a chicken and egg thing with behcet’s – too little / too much of ANYTHING can trigger a flare up!… ulcers under control, they r always there but as long as i can eat without needing painkillers, i feel really happy… been getting vertigo alot though, wonder why… yesterday i think i did a bit too much walking – went to the beach, it was a lovely day – came home with a swollen ankle, the arthritis is another fierce attachment to my life… but just gotta keeping chugging along…

ok, time to attack the day again… wishing myself good luck…

Important information for you to consider as you consider LIVING HEALTHIER!

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet..

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe…polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

Here’s to your health!

Faith Avery
Living Healthier
616-638-5276

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“Look well to the spine for the cause of disease” – Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine.

Area – Blood supply to the head, brain stem, ear, eye, sinuses, sympathetic nervous system

Effect – Headaches, nervousness, dizziness, migraines, insomnia, allergies, head colds, high blood pressure, earaches, fever, chronic tiredness

Area – Face, nose, lips, mouth

Effect – Skin and gland problems

Area – Neck glands, shoulders, arm, hands, wrist, and fingers

Effect – Laryngitis, sore throat, stiff neck, bursitis, asthma, cough, pain, numbness, tingling in arms and hands

Area – Heart, lungs

Effect – Heart conditions, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, influenza

Area – Gall bladder, liver, digestive organs

Effect – Gall bladder and liver conditions, indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, blood sugar

Area – Spleen, adrenals

Effect – Lowered resistance, allergies, hives, blood sugar, varicose veins, fatigue, low blood pressure, skin problems, asthma

Area – Kidneys

Effect – Kidney problems, hardening of the arteries, chronic tiredness, skin conditions

Area – Intestines

Effect – Gas pains, sterility, constipation, colitis, diarrhea

Area – Sex organs, uterus, bladder, knees, prostate gland, lower back

Effect – Bladder troubles, cramps, menstrual difficulties, bed wetting, impotency, knee pains, sciatica, difficult urination, back aches, poor circulation in legs, swollen, weak ankles and arches, cold feet, leg cramps, spinal curvature, hemorrhoids

Call us at 417-339-3978 or visit our website for more information.

is there no respite from behcet’s, i often wonder… ?… ulcers in throat hv been fierce, and the tongue swollen with strategic one near the base… eating is uncomfortable but thank god i love my food! … had a bad tummy all night… as if anyone wants to hear abt this?… mild fever this morning and a general feeling of malaise… aching… headache… nausea and vertigo… not strong enough for alarm, but not good enough to hv a robust day… staying in today then… but can’t seem to concentrate on my readings… sigh… i hate this nowhere land i m in 80% of the time… a struggle just to keep up with any activity – and an over reliance on painkillers… sometimes i panic when i forget whether or not i’ve had a dose… right after i’ve popped one more does into my mouth and swallowed, the thought flashes across my mind – duh??? did i take a dose just awhile ago??? drats…

ok so thus goes my day today… wondering… if there will ever be a day i can find respite from this malady…

is there no respite from behcet’s, i often wonder… ?… ulcers in throat hv been fierce, and the tongue swollen with strategic one near the base… eating is uncomfortable but thank god i love my food! … had a bad tummy all night… as if anyone wants to hear abt this?… mild fever this morning and a general feeling of malaise… aching… headache… nausea and vertigo… not strong enough for alarm, but not good enough to hv a robust day… staying in today then… but can’t seem to concentrate on my readings… sigh… i hate this nowhere land i m in 80% of the time… a struggle just to keep up with any activity – and an over reliance on painkillers… sometimes i panic when i forget whether or not i’ve had a dose… right after i’ve popped one more does into my mouth and swallowed, the thought flashes across my mind – duh??? did i take a dose just awhile ago??? drats…

ok so thus goes my day today… wondering… if there will ever be a day i can find respite from this malady…

The phrase: “Death begins in the colon”, coined by Nobel Prize winner professor Elie Metchnikoff, is a well known one; at least amongst my peers and I. I’m not sure who originally coined the 4 R’s approach to digestive disorders, but it is certainly a great way to help someone gain optimal digestive health. The 4 R’s are: 1) Remove. 2) Replace, 3) Re-inoculate, 4) Repair. I’ll discuss each individually.

1) Remove – This refers to removing food allergens, sugar (in most forms), alcohol, artificial sweeteners and colors, and perhaps even gluten from the diet. Additionally, “removal” of pathogens such as: (an overgrowth of) yeast, parasites, harmful bacteria, viruses, protozoa, etc. is part of the “remove” step. This can be accomplished through the making healthy food choices and taking specific nutritional and/or herbal formulas.

2) Replace – This refers to “replacing”, really adding the biochemicals (via dietary supplements) necessary to digest food. For example, one may need digestive enzymes (to break down fat, carbohydrates, and protein) and/or hydrochloric acid to help with digestion of protein in the stomach, among other important reasons.

3) Re-inoculate – This step involves adding beneficial flora (or gut bacteria) in the form of dietary supplements. This helps to ensure the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the digestive tract is balanced in a healthy way. Often, there will be an overgrowth of organisms (those mentioned in step 2), that necessitates “re-inoculation” of good bacteria into the intestines. There are purportedly about 500 different species of bacteria residing in the gut. The common ones you’ve probably heard of are acidophilus and bifidus. These bacteria perform so many important functions that the topic deserves an article of its own.

4) Repair – This refers to repairing the structural integrity of the stomach and digestive tract. The digestive lining is easily irritated, especially from food allergens and foreign (natural or artificial) chemicals. The small intestine lining specifically tends to lose its integrity easily and can result in a condition known as “leaky gut syndrome”. This is when the cells that create the barrier against food getting into the bloodstream become damaged, thus allowing large undigested food particles (and chemicals) to be released systemically. As a result, the body can mount an immune response in reaction to these “foreign” and undigested chemicals causing a whole host of symptoms, especially allergic reactions leading to systemic inflammation. There are a variety of remedies that address this situation.

In my experience each individual does not necessarily need to go through all of these steps in order to feel better. However, implementing at least one (usually 2-3) can be the difference between success and failure. Changing the diet alone is usually not sufficient enough to feel and function better, especially if the condition is chronic.

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

everyone wishes to have lots of money… and indeed once upon a long long time ago i did indeed have quite a bit… but aspies are not known to be great with money… c’est moi: too gullible, too generous, too impulsive, too plain lousy at keeping those balance sheets… maths has never been my forte, and least of all accounting maths…

i believed every sob story that came my way, i loved pretty things too much, and i was too unhappy at the very job that earned me all that wealth…

and i m assured of love and support from my closest ones… money cannot buy this kind of peace… tho love cannot erase the struggle with asperger’s, love cannot heal constant battle with physical pain – ulcers, fever, aching all over, headache, arthritis, vertigo etc even as i type right now – but love has given me renewed strength to be myself… and courage to keep being me…

now, i hv so little money compared to then… but i m happy… so much poorer, but so much happier… and so very much richer by far…

When we are faced with a medical problem or condition, most people are concerned with how does it make me feel, how does it make me look, and what is it likely going to do with me?

The most common symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency(CVI), is aching, heaviness, fatigue, cramping, itching, swelling, and restless leg.  Each of the above can be given an odds ratio, but I have listed them in descending order of frequency.  All can statistically be related to underlying venous disease.

In terms of visible appearance, the most common signs are spider veins and varicose veins.  As the disease progresses, functional problems due to the inefficiency of the venous circulation occur.  This leads to visible skin changes showing brown, inflamed, and scaly areas about the lower legs and ankles.

Untreated, this condition leads to the formation of ulcers in the same areas.

At any time during the course of the disease, patients are at risk for superficial thrombophlebitis, or an inflammation of the superficial veins, that is painful, debilitating, and can be life-threatening.  In the case of more advanced disease, the risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) increases, imparting a greater risk to life and limb.

Most of the factors surrounding the onset and course of CVI, with the exception of age and genetics, are amenable to intervention, and that is what we do at the Morrison Vein Institute.  The effect of this disease on the economy, in terms of time lost from work, and the effect on quality of life is inestimable.

Written by Nick Morrison, MD, FACPh

Posted by Kelly Lorenzen

stressful day… smelly workmen in and out all day fixing stuff… the smell was so bad in this heat… and the stress from having 2 strangers (who smell bad) walking around the house all day… it was inevitable i guess, the final meltdown… long after they’d gone… after a great dinner (which i cooked)… two hypersensitive kitkats, one with ADD babbling on and on to relieve stress, the other with asperger’s trying to calm ADD down, like desperately swatting at flies to no avail… in the end, the aspie has a brainmelt and leaves the room… all becos of one other person, this one with agoraphobia and some moral high-horse who was picking on ADD and aspie tried to defend ADD but instead being clueless and aspie, said the wrong thing and ended up being the baddie of the show by leaving the room in a minor meltdown state…

ok times like these i just feel so so tired tired tired… and wonder… perhaps i shd just live alone the rest of my life… it may be better for everyone?… who knows the agony that aspies go thru in the relational minefield? and not being sexist here, but honestly, it is so much harder for female aspies – so much more expectation to behave ‘normal’ and ‘unselfish’ etc… and yes it is again my fault sint it? cos i hv done such a great job at pretending to be normal that even i feel guilt at being myself once in awhile…

they say no man is an island? right now i think some ppl are better off making their own islands really…

plus vertigo, ulcers and headache… oooooooo…. yeah… brainmelt… yeah…

just before midnight… throbbing ulcers and swollen throat… mild vertigo… thinking abt nothing much, yet too many different things at once… took a painkiller before dinner – still hurt like crazy but i love eating… and yeah i do like my own cooking… seems like my family liked it too… pork ribs with hawaiian herb salt and lotsa spring onions… i will miss my family when i hv to return to where work beckons… where i shall hv to begin to adjust to solitude all over again… but this time will be different… the nightmares will be no more… i m well rid of him and his sick skank… i just feel sad… very sad… for him, for his longsuffering and loving family (becos i kw how precious family is really)… but no i dont feel sorry for the skank… she’s fine, that kind of woman always is… i guess he mistook me for one like her?… i will never know… i will never know why i was taken on a roller coaster ride of sick fear and mental torment… but it is over now…

ending this just before midnight… no reason… just because i wish to…

it does get so painful that the pain ‘makes’ a ringing sound in the ear… and my ears hv been ringing all day… the throat is inflamed and a huge deep crater of an ulcer throbs angrily at the bottom of the base of my tongue… not to mention the dozens others scattered around like confetti…

nevertheless, this spunkykitty went out for lunch with an old girlfriend… managed also to throw in a trip to the supermart for various goodies (for dinnertime) and two t-shirts at the baby-fair for the doggie… yep, the doggie… and then home to prepare dinner…

been eating far too much lately… comfort food i guess… growing way too enormous for this tiny frame… gotta stop, that’s what i tell myself, but yet, the allure of delish yummy food is too great… the sensorial high of taste, smell and texture masking a resonating sadness inside perhaps?… painkillers can’t do better… only joy – but where has joy gone?…

holes in my throat… ulcers, i mean… it’s tiresome, one wave after another… never without pain… this afternoon i hv acupuncture and acupressure sesssion… holes in my knee… the tiny needles shd be no problem for others, but i hv behcet’s, and the tiniest of pinpricks result in angry red circles – yep, just like when they do the pathergy test and it turns out positive, one of the signs of behcet’s… along with ulcers… holes holes holes…

rained last night… waiting for the sun to emerge today… hopefully it will, so i can swim… didnt swim for the last few days, been just too too busy… and then fatigued… by the emotional happenings around me… for an aspie, living with family is difficult but living alone too has it’s drawbacks… ah more holes… holes in the air… in my mind… it’s a hole-y day!!!

time for a pat on my back… from me to me… it has been a trying day… but i managed to prevent my own meltdown, and at the same time diffuse a volatile situation between two ppl i love… who says aspies dont hv empathy?… i think we do, a lot more than ‘normal’ NTs that is why we tend to retreat into our own safe shells… it is so damn difficult to deal with such deep feelings and seeing so many different angles of pain – it blows my mind… and i feel so much like running away… but today, i stayed, and i even helped make things better… and all this while juggling a severely painful throat and multiple mouth ulcers! … i m exhausted now… but for these two ppl whom i love deeply, i can say i consciously dragged myself thru, vigorously put away my own flight instincts, allowed my strong sense of logic to take over, and reminded myself to stay calm and do this as a labour of love… becos these 2 ppl love me too and r 2 of my strongest supporters along this crazy wonderful journey called my life… it is worthwhile… but i admit i cannot do this every single day… as it is, my body is protesting – with tinnitus, vertigo and nausea now… yet mentally i m pleased with myself…

well done, spunkykitty!